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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25218646">A Different Kind of Reunion</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss221b/pseuds/Miss221b'>Miss221b</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Adventure Zone (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>:0, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Oops, kinda violent tbh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:15:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25218646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss221b/pseuds/Miss221b</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Where the demon isn't quite so forgiving of Higglemas</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Different Kind of Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is were I thought this scene was going and I was TERRIFIED the whole time and now I still have it in my HEAD so here. I just kind had to get it out and my editing skills aren't the best. I'll come back to this sometime soon and polish it up a bit.</p>
<p>I'm really projecting my Lup and Taako love onto Higglemas and Hiero</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>              With a sick grin on his face, the demon slid the vial across the desk towards Higglemas. It took a moment for his hunched figure to move, and the tremors in his hand were visible across the dim room as he reached forward. He hesitated, his fingers barely touching the glass, his breathing labored. In front of him the demon jerked forward, placing his massive, clawed hand onto of Higglemas’s and closing it.</p>
<p>               “<em>Now</em>, please,” it growled.</p>
<p>               The room was thick with tension as the three students still struggled to wrap their minds around the plight they had stumbled into.</p>
<p>               “I’m...still not sure I understand why this is a bad thing,” Argo spoke out, “didn’t we <em>want </em>the brother to stop being a dog?”</p>
<p>               Around Higglemas’s feet, the golden Collie whimpered, putting a paw up on his lap urgently.</p>
<p>               Higglemas slowly brought his hand back in and stared down the vial.</p>
<p>               “I would be inclined to agree, Argo,” the demon spoke with malice, “it would be beneficial to everyone here except this coward of a man.”</p>
<p>               It cocked its head, its dark eyes locked on the hunched, old figure sitting in front of the boys.</p>
<p>               Higglemas took a shuddering breath and turned his face to look down at the dog pacing urgently underneath his feet. For the first time, the boys could see his face; it was evident he had put up a fight and Fitzroy belatedly thought to reach out and feel at the enchantments that had been surrounding the room. When his magic turned sharply back around to him, informing him that they had all been forcibly and violently broken, he shuttered. What had happened?</p>
<p>               The dog whined again and sounded almost pained, and Higglemas nodded to himself slightly. He moved out of the chair to the floor to kneel next to Hero, the movement obviously difficult on his beaten frame.</p>
<p>               “I’m sorry,” he whispered softly before bringing the vial up and pouring half of it down the dog’s throat before doing the same to himself.</p>
<p>               A bright flash of white erupted in the room, and when it faded the scene had changed. Kneeling on the floor were two young elven men, one of whom the students immediately recognized as Hieronymous. His eyes were more distant and empty than they had been in morning assembly for the last year, but it was certainly him.</p>
<p>               In front of him, long hair a brassy gold instead of silver, was who could only be a much younger Higglemas. Where there had been little resemblance between the men there was now plenty.</p>
<p>               Higglemas reached up fervently, cupping his brothers face with both hands and searching for something there. Tears leaked down his now smooth cheeks as he took in his brother for the first time in fifty years. He received nothing in return, however, as Hieronymous continued to stare straight forward, no recollection or emotion on his face. Slowly, he brought up his hands and stared at them as though he was unsure what he was looking at. Higglemas watched him miserably and brought his own hands down to grasp them.</p>
<p>               “I’m so sorry, I’m so…” he trailed off, falling forward and collapsing against his brother’s chest. His back hitched as he continued to cry softly, “come back, I’m so sorry”.</p>
<p>               The demon frowned from his perch on the desk, his eyes narrowing as he watched his nemesis.</p>
<p>               The boys watched with bated breath (and a few tears on Argo’s part, not that he’d admit it), waiting for the man to return to himself.</p>
<p>               Finally, slowly, he began to blink, and he brought his hands up to clutch onto Higglemas’s robe. He shuddered deeply and moved to fully embrace his brother.</p>
<p>               Across the room the demon laughed gleefully and clapped, “there he is!”</p>
<p>               He jumped off the desk lithely, his teeth glinting dangerously in the dark.</p>
<p>               “Oh, I have spent <em>some </em>time waiting for you,” he spoke viciously, approaching the two figures huddled on the floor.</p>
<p>               Hieronymous forced his mouth into a thin line before looking up the glare at the creature. His arms did not move from around his brother.</p>
<p>               “Unfortunate then, that I must rob you of this victory you so desire,” he spoke grimly, his voice graveled from misuse.</p>
<p>               The demon’s laughter came off in peels and he clapped again, his face full of demented glee, “Oh yes, I have missed you <em>very </em>much Hieronymous. And to think, we were so close to never being able to play again.”</p>
<p>               His gaze turned predatory as it landed on Higglemas, and the boys tensed by the door.</p>
<p>               “Six months Hieronymous. We have a date you and I, but you’ve tried to cheat before. How do I know you won’t do it again?”</p>
<p>               Hiero’s arms tightened around his brother and he lashed out, “We won’t, I can promise you that – “</p>
<p>               “Ah ah ah, see, you I can trust. Him? Not so much” He raised his clawed hands and snapped his fingers. Hieronymous tensed up, pulling back and tighter but not fast enough.</p>
<p>               The men flew apart violently; Higglemas landing at the demon’s feet and Hiero slamming against the back wall. The younger of the two struggled frantically to sit up, his hands flying around to push himself away. He held the beginning of a spell on his lips, Fitzroy could sense it instinctually, drawing up power from the floor when the demon rolled his eyes and snapped again. The elven man reared back, his hands coming up to his mouth as he released a guttural scream. Blood poured from between his shaking fingers and he shook violently.</p>
<p>               Across the room Hieronymous screamed, struggling ferociously to sit up and drag himself towards his brother, the aftereffects of the spell not having released him yet.</p>
<p>               “Okay, we were doing okay up until right there,” Fitzroy yelled in alarm, his hand going back to grab at his ax. Beside him Argo and the Firbolg tensed as well, panic written across all of their faces.</p>
<p>               “Higglemas,” the demon sighed, ignoring all of them and looking down at the man below him, “even if we <em>were </em>on a three strike system, this would have to be upwards of your tenth offense. You’ve proven yourself to not be a team player here. Its not fair to any of us.”</p>
<p>               Higglemas let out a long moan, his mouth gaping open and shut trying desperately to make words.</p>
<p>               “Hey, <em>stop</em>,” Argo warned as the demon took another step towards the downed man. Together they moved forward, hesitant to engage with the demon lest they have to roll initiative, but unsure what else to do.</p>
<p>               Immediately they felt the same force push them backwards and they all slammed into the oak door, a dark, cruel magic holding them there that made their skin crawl.</p>
<p>               “You had to know I couldn’t allow it, right?” The demon asked as he reached deftly down to grab the man by his throat, bringing his body up to dangle, “So really, this is on you.”</p>
<p>               Hiero yelled again, reaching desperately for a knife on the desk and struggling to stand up.</p>
<p>               “Let him <em>be </em>Gray,” he demanded desperately.</p>
<p>               “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a lot more fun when your around, but you just aren’t worth the risk anymore,” the demon purred, reaching up with one hand to stroke Higglemas’s face.</p>
<p>               “<em>Stop –</em>“ Hiero screamed desperately, staggering towards them. The word wasn’t even fully out of his mouth before the demon’s hand jerked viciously, its claws raking through the younger elf’s throat.</p>
<p>               Higglemas’s back arched horribly in his grasp before he went still, blood gushing down the front of his robe. With another smirk the demon released his body, and it thudded against the floor. Hieronymous was sobbing now, throwing himself off balance and tumbling back to the floor where he continued to drag himself desperately towards his brother.</p>
<p>               “Six months, Hieronymous,” the demon sneered, licking the blood off one of his claws, “six months,” and he was gone.</p>
<p>              </p>
<p>              </p>
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